Closure for containers



May 15, 1934. P, D, HARTOG 1,958,434

CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS Filed Feb. 6, 1933 Patented May 15, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS Delaware Application February 6, 1933, Serial No. 655,315

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to closures of a type particularly adapted for closing dispensing cans and like receptacles containing talcum powder, tooth powder, bath salts, and similar materials. Within the broad aspects of the invention, the present closure can also be employed in connection with collapsible tubes and the like, such as might contain tooth paste, shaving soap, salves, etc. In general, the invention pertains to the type of closure shown in Reissue Patent No. 18,649 to Walther Kalb, wherein the closure element is permanently connected with the neck of the dispensing receptacle, and is reciprocated into open and closed position on this neck by a simple pushing or pulling motion of the closure element. The closure element is resiliently held in its open and closed positions by a snap spring preferably constructed in the form of a, spring-buckling disc or washer, the outer edge of which moves with a snap action across a neutral plane when this outer edge is pushed to a downwardly flexed position or pulled to an upwardly flexed position. The closure element is operatively connected with this buckling spring, preferably having attachment around the outer peripheral edge thereof, whereby the closure element moves with this snap motion into open and closed positions, and is resiliently held in each of these positions by the spring tension of the disc. This general type of closure for cans, tubes and like containers possesses the advantages of preventing the closure element from becoming lost; of enabling the container to be instantly opened or closed by a quick simple motion of the closure element; and of assuring a close-fitting, air-tight seal of the container when the closure element is in its closed position.

In the typical construction of these containers as heretofore made, the dispensing neck thereof usually comprises three main portions or sections: first, the lower portion, which is adapted to have attachment to the body of the container; second, 'the intermediate portion so constructed as to have substantially rigid attachment to the inner peripheral edge of the spring-buckling disc; and, third, the upper portion consisting of a head provided with the discharge apertures through which the contents of the container are discharged. When constructing this neck as a die casting, or by some other casting operation, it has been possible to make all three sections or portions of the neck in the form of an integral structure. However, when 'it is sought to make these necks of sheet metal, as by punching, spinning, extruding, or crimping sheet metal stock, it has heretofore been necessary to make up these necks of two or more parts, suitably joined together. The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction of sheet metal neck wherein the above described three sections or portions are all embodied in an integral sheet metal unit. This avoids the necessity of making and handling additional parts in the construction and assembly of the neck, and possessesother advantages which simplify and reduce the cost of manufacture of the container.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following detail description of a preferred embodiment thereof. In the accompanying drawing illustrating such embodiment:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view (taken approximately on the plane of the line l-'1 of Figure 3) through the upper portion of the container, its dispensing neck, and the spring actu ated closure element, this view being on an enlarged scale and showing the closure element in its closed position; v

Figure 2 is a generallysimilar view (taken approximately on the plane of the line 22 of Figure 3) showing the closure element in its open position;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken approximately on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail view showing one condition of the sheet metal neck prior to the attachment of a spring-buckling disc thereto.

The container 6 is most typically representative ofa can or carton forcontaining talcum powder, tooth'powder, etc., although, as previously stated, it may'also be representative of a collapsible tube or the like for containing tooth paste, shaving cream, etc. The sheet metal dispensing neck is designate-d '7 in its entirety, and the circumferentially spaced discharge ports in the upper portion thereof are designated 8. The closure element which controls the discharge of the contents of the container through these ports is designated 9, and the spring-buckling disc is designated 11.

The single sheet metal stamping constituting the neck 7 comprises a lower cylindrical portion 7a of relatively large diameter, which is adapted to be secured to the body 6 of the container. The lower part of this cylindrical portion is provided with an outwardly extending rim or head 7b formed by extending the metal outwardly and then bending it back reversely upon itself to form a shoulder for seating upon the top of the inwardly turned upper end of the body 6. Afterthis shoulder has been seated on said body, the lower rim of the neck stamping is spun or crimped outwardly to form the lower flange which interlocks with the under side of the top wall of the container.

The upper portion of the cylindrical wall 7a is curved inwardly to form an annular seat or shoulder 7d against which the lower side of the spring buckling disc 11 engages. The inner periphery of this disc is provided with a substantially flat portion 11a, for seating on the ledge 7d. Referring to Figure 4, preliminary to the attachment of the disc 11 to the neck, the latter is formed with a substantially cylindrical wall 7'03 projecting upwardly from the shoulder 7d, and protruding inwardly from said cylindrical wall is a narrow horizontal wall or offset 7y. Rising from said narrow off-set is a short cylindrical wall 76, and extending upwardly therefrom is a conical wall 7 which joins with the flat end wall '79. The inner periphery of the disc 11 can be slipped down over the outer side of the vertical Wall 7x, and after this disc is in position the wall portion 7r is spun or crimped outwardly and downwardly, whereby the metal of the two wall portions 7x and 7y forms an outwardly extending bead or rim '72, which overlies the flat portion 11a of the disc and interlocks the latter to the shoulder 7d. This operation can be readily performed prior to the attachment of the closure cap 9 to the outer edge of the disc.

The discharge ports .8 are preferably in the form of elongated slots, although they might be in the form of circular holes. They may be punched in, the neck stamping '7 at any stage in the shaping of the latter, and are preferably dispose-d adjacent to the base of the conical wall '7).

The closure cap 9 comprises an upper conical portion 9a having a radial flange 9b extending inwardly from its upper end. The latter flange is adapted to have seating contact against the conical wall '7 at a pointabove the ports 8 when the cap is in its closed position, Figure 1. Flaring outwardly from the bottom of the conical wall 1 9a of the cap is a skirt portion 90, which is formed with an internally grooved rim or bead 9d at its lower edge. This bead is crimped or spun over the outer peripheral edge of the spring disc 11. If desired, an air-tight seal may be established at this joint, and also at the joint between the inner peripheral edge of the disc and the neck stamping.

As will be understood from the aforementioned Kalb patent, the snap spring disc 11 is distorted or shaped to have a conical bias, whereby the outer edge of this disc moves with a snap action across a neutral plane when this outer edge is pushed to a downwardly flexed position or pulled to, an upwardly flexed position. To close the container, the outer periphery of the closure cap 9 is manually grasped and pushed inwardly or downwardly relatively to the container for snapping. the closure element down against the conical surface 7]. In this closed position, the disc 11 is still exerting downward pressure against theclosure element, whereby the radial flange 9b of said closure element. is maintained resiliently pressed against the conical surface 7 of the neck or head member. The conical form of this seat- .ing surface" 7 and the line contact afforded by the lower edge of the flange 9b bearing against this conical surface enables the closure element to adapt itself to any slight irregularities in the points of contact, for assuring a tight closure. To open the container, the outer periphery of the closure element is manually grasped and pulled upwardly or outwardly relatively to the container, snapping the disc 11 across its neutral plane and resiliently holding the closure element in the open position illustrated in Figure 2. The contents of the container can then be discharged out through the ports 8, up along the inside of the closure element 9 and out through the end opening 12 defined within the marginal flange 91).

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. A container comprising a body, a neck, a closure cap, and a spring-buckling disc operatively connected between said neck and said closure cap, said neck consisting of a unitary sheet metal stamping comprising, as integral parts thereof, means for attaching said neck to said body, means for attaching said neck to said disc, and an apertured head portion, said cap being movable lengthwise of said neck into closed position in contactwith said head portion and into open position out of contact with said head portion, said spring-buckling disc operating to throw said cap either to said closed position or to said open position as soon as the cap passes beyond its median or neutral position.

2. A container comprising a body, a neck, a closure cap, and a spring-buckling disc operatively connected between said neck. and said closure cap, said neck consisting of a unitary sheet metal stamping comprising, as integral parts thereof, a flange for attaching said neck to said body, a flange for attaching said neck to said disc, and an apertured head portion, said cap being movable lengthwise ofsaidneck into closed position in contact with said head portion and into open position out of contact with said head portion, said spring buckling disc operating to throw said cap either tothe closed position or to the open position as soon as the cap passes beyond its median or neutral position. 7

3. A container comprising a body, a neck, a closure cap, and a spring-buckling disc operatively connected between said neck and said closure cap, said neck consisting of a unitary sheet metal stamping comprising, as integral parts thereof, a pair of flanges for interlocking attachment to said body, a pair of flanges for interlocking attachment to the, inner peripheral edge of said disc, and an apertured head portion, said cap being movable lengthwise of said neck into closed position in contact with said head portion and into open position out of contact with said head portion, said disc operating to throw said cap either to said closed position or to said open position as soon as the cap passes beyond its median or neutral position.

4. A container comprising a body, a neck, a closure cap, and a spring-buckling disc operatively connected between said neck and said closure cap, said neck consisting of a unitary sheet metal stamping comprising, as integral parts thereof, means for attaching said neck to ,said body, means for attaching said neck to said disc, and a conical head portion having discharge apertures in the side walls thereof, said cap being movable lengthwise of said neck into closed position in contact with said head portion above said discharge apertures and into open position out of contact with said head portion, said disc operating to throw said cap either to the closed position or to the open position as soon as the cap passes beyond its median or neutral position.

5, A container comprising a body, a'neck, a

closure cap, and a spring-buckling disc operatively connected between said neck and said closure cap, said neck consisting of a unitary sheet metal stamping comprising, as integral parts thereof, means for attaching said neck to said body, and an upper head portion provided with discharge apertures therein, said cap being movable lengthwise of said neck into open and closed positions, and in the latter position having contact with said head portion above said discharge apertures, said disc operating to throw said cap either to said open or closed positions as soon as the cap passes beyond its median or neutral position.

6. A container comprising a body, a neck secured to said body, a closure cap, and a springbuckling disc operatively connected between said neck and said closure cap, said neck including a unitary sheet metal stamping comprising, as integral parts thereof, spaced flanges engaging with the upper and lower sides of said spring-buckling disc around its inner peripheral edge, and an apertured head portion extending upwardly from said upper flange, said cap being movable lengthwise of said neck into open or closed position for controlling the discharge of material through said apertured head portion, said spring-buckling disc operating to throw said cap either to the open position or to the closed position as soon as the cap passes beyond its median or neutral position.

'7. A container comprising a body, a dispensing neck consisting of a unitary sheet metal stamping comprising means for securing said stamping to said body and an apertured head portion, an external cap for closing the aperture in said head portion movable lengthwise of said neck into open or closed position, said cap being adapted for direct manual grasping to initiate the movement thereof in either direction, and an elastic snap device connecting said neck with said cap and operating to throw the latter either to the discharge position or to the closed position as soon as the cap passes beyond its median or neutral position.

8. The method of constructing container closures of the class described, comprising forming the dispensing neck portion from a single piece of sheet metal, joining this neck portion to the body of the container, assembling the apertured spring-buckling disc over said neck stamping, expanding a part of the side wall of said neck stamping outwardly to form a flange engaging on the upper side of said disc, and securing the closure cap to the outer peripheral portion of said disc.

PAUL D. HARTOG. 

